Ross County impress to defeat Dundee United
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A SPARKLING first half performance was just the tonic for Ross County who defeated Dundee United 2-1 in the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership on Saturday.
A Liam Boyce penalty and an Andrew Davies goal gave Jim McIntyre's team a 2-0 interval lead.
A Sean Dillon thunderbolt early in the second half sparked United and they threw everything at County but could not conjure up an equaliser.
This fine win for County keeps them fifth in the in table ahead of the international break.
The hosts, who made five changes midweek for their 2-0 against Ayr United, fielded the same starting 11 which swept to a 4-0 league romp a week ago.
The big news ahead of this game was the return to the Highlands of former Caley Thistle striker Billy Mckay.
Despite reported interest from County in the Wigan player, however, it was United who had snapped him up on a season-long loan.
He began this game, wearing the number seven shirt along with John Rankin and Ryan Dow coming back for starts following their 3-1 defeat by Celtic seven days previously.
County started in a positive fashion and Liam Boyce headed over the top early on when he met an inviting cross from Jonathan Franks.
Moments later, Boyce drew a decent block from keeper Luis Zwick when he got on the end of a swiftly taken free-kick from Marcus Fraser.
United looked lively too and Blair Spittal's free-kick from fully 20 yards was saved well by home keeper Scott Fox after 13 minutes.
Four minutes later though, County took the lead from the penalty spot after Mark Durnan was judged to have handled the ball in the box just after Rankin had cleared an Irvine effort off the line.
Up stepped Boyce and he rattled the ball beyond Zwick into the net for his fifth already of the campaign.
United responded well to losing the goal and pressed County and it took a block from Fox to deny Ryan Dow who was put through on goal after 25 minutes.
In the next move, Dow was again one-on-one with Fox and it was the same outcome.
McGowan then came to United's rescue when he cleared a Franks shot off the line.
However, from the follow-up corner, County doubled their advantage when captain Andrew Davies crashed the ball past Zwick by connected with another Franks delivery.
The Staggies continued to impress with high intensity football and were delighted to have finished positively at the end of the first half and with the 2-0 lead.
The visitors were lively after the break and Ryan McGowan went close with a volley over the top, although Fox did have it covered.
United did haul themselves back into the contest on 61 minutes when captain Sean Dillon unleashed an unstoppable shot from 30 yards which beat diving Fox all ends up.
It was a cracking strike from Dillon and gave the Tannadice team the lift they badly needed.
Another great strike from United, this time from Spittal's free-kick almost resulted in the equaliser but Fox superbly touched the ball on to the crossbar.
Boyce came close to getting his second of the afternoon when he forced a save from Zwick then Dillon was on hand to deny Franks on his follow-up on 66 minutes.
At the other end, sub Scott Fraser's fierce shot was held by Fox as United pushed for another.
Jackson Irvine then tried to kill them off for County but his drive was saved by Zwick.
Dundee United were certainly the better team in the second half and the Dingwall side were determined not to let them nick a point.
Sub Fraser had another close call with a 30-yard strike as they pressed again.
It was all about getting over the line for County, having been so impressive in the first 45 minutes.
County saw out four long minutes of stoppage time to earn the hard-fought win.
They return to action after the international action when they travel to Motherwell on September 12.
Ross County: Fox, Irvine, Franks (Foster 70), Fraser, Gardyne (Murdoch 79), Boyce, Quinn, Curran (McShane 62), Davies, Robertson, Reckord. Subs not used: Bachmann (GK), Graham, Boyd, De Vita.
Dundee United: Zwick, Dillon, Dixon (Donaldson 59), Souttar (Fraser 59), Rankin, Erskine (Bodul 73), McGowan, Dow, Durnan, Spittal, Mckay. Subs not used: McCallum, Telfer, Connolly, Muirhead.
Referee; Craig Thomson.
Attendance: 4,014.
